Retroviruses are viruses whose replication requires the transcription of viral RNA into DNA using the viral reverse transcriptase molecules attached to the viral RNA. This reverse transcription is the opposite of normal transcription which makes RNA from DNA.
Known retroviruses include HIV-1, HIV-2, the herpes family of viruses, HTLV-1 and cytomegalovirus (CMV). HIV, the virus which is presently believed to cause acquired immunodefiency syndrome (AIDS), is considered one of the principle threats to human life and health worldwide.
Various anti-HIV compounds have been proposed as useful in the treatment and prevention of AIDS, e.g., zidovudine (AZT), didanosine (ddI), zalcitabine (ddC), nevirapine, and dextran sulfate. However, none of the proposed compounds have been proven to be totally effective in the treatment or prevention of AIDS. For example, three of the currently FDA approved compounds for the treatment of AIDs, i.e., AZT, ddI and ddC, can all cause undesirable side effects in a patient, such as inhibition of bone marrow cell growth, and their effectiveness is limited by virus mutation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,389 describes certain thiocarboxylate ester compounds useful for inhibiting the growth or replication of HIV.
It is the purpose of this invention to provide novel aromatic hydrazones, useful as anti-viral agents.
It is also the purpose of this invention to provide a method for inhibiting or preventing the growth or replication of HIV-1 and HIV-1 mutant strains using the novel aromatic hydrazones.
It is a further purpose of this invention to provide compositions comprising the novel aromatic hydrazones, useful for inhibiting or preventing the growth or replication of HIV-1 and HIV-1 mutant strains.